Shillito Woods & Grindleford

It was a trip up to the woods today but not a teddy bears picnic!
We travelled north up the A6 through Chatsworth Park and right at Baslow onto the A621 towards our first stoop E9 on Fox Lane. It was very misty on the journey especially when we reached the higher ground. This stoop is in a small wood and the ground was quite boggy. Although not ideal for photo's the mist gave a lovely atmospheric feel to the place. The tree's in the wood were Alder and they thrive in damp conditions.

Stoop E9 in the middle of an Alder Wood.

Don't forget 300 years ago there would have been no trees here.

Companion Stone nearby to the stoop.

The stoop can be seen in the back ground

We went just about half a mile up the road and parked on the grass verge. Although it was only a couple of hundred yards off the road we couldn't see whats left of Fox Lane Cross because of the mist.

Fox Lane Cross.

Geoff has been here before and he tells us the views are stunning, well you can't win them all.
We got back in the car and drove back the way we came to Shillito Woods and pulled into the car park there.
The cross on Fox Lane and this cross in Shillito Woods were probably erected by Monks from Beauchief Abbey in the 13th century to help travellers. These ancient crosses were supplemented with stoops along the packhorse routes to guide travellers on there way.

Path through Shillito Wood

Shillito Cross

Shillito Cross

From Shillito Woods we went down towards Curbar Gap and stopped at the car park next to stoop E7 for our breakfast. It was still misty and damp so we sat in the car for our breakfast.

The information board at Curbar Gap.

After breakfast we moved on to Goatscliff near Grindleford to see stoop W1, this is in a private garden and when we arrived we knocked on the door of the owners.
A lady opened the door and said it was OK to take a look around. She took a bit of interest when Geoff showed her the book with the drawing of her stoop. The stoop was covered with a large fern which we gently pulled to one side for pictures.

Stoop W1

 This stoop is unusual with the direction to Bakewell being written backwards.
The stoop is next to a very old gate with individual members hand made from branches of an oak tree.

Stoop and Oak gate.

Ike giving scale to the size of the stoop.

Walking down the track back to the car we spotted these sculptures of rams in a cottage garden.

Wooden rams, at least they don't need feeding.

The boys strolling down Goatscliff Farm lane.

A "GR" letter box at the bottom of the lane.

The letter box at the bottom of Goatscliff Lane is a Wall Type manufactured by WT Allen & Co of London. The GR is the royal cypher for King George V1 1936 - 1952.

After Goatscliff we headed home with a stop at Rowsley Bridge, i wanted to see the boundary marker which was in the middle of the bridge.
If you look carefully at the photo you will see they even changed the style of the coping stones at the boundary. They certainly wanted to be different.

Rowsley Bridge boundary marker

Did you see RAMBO at Curbar, i bet you never knew that rabbits can climb trees!!!

 Cheers